28 Jan 2021
Dear parent/carer
Thank you for enrolling/continuing to enrol your child at the Saturday School of Community Languages (SSCL). I would like to take this opportunity to provide some information about our school.
At the SSCL, all our teachers are qualified and experienced professionals who are passionate about their work. Our students are driven to continue developing their language skills and intercultural understanding in a dynamic learning environment. I am very proud of our students’ dedication and our HSC results last year were outstanding. We achieved 20 First in Course and 76 students were recognised as Top Achievers!
COVID-19 situation
The NSW Department of Education is working closely with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), NSW Health and other agencies to ensure our schools continue to operate in the safest ways possible in the COVID-19 environment.
All students commence classes this Saturday 30 January unless they are unwell or have a medical certificate to support their absence. In accordance with advice from NSW Health, parents and carers are reminded NOT to send children to school if they are unwell, even if they have the mildest flu-like symptoms.
Students are reminded to remain vigilant and to practise physical distancing and hygiene measures to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of students and staff are maintained.
Masks remain compulsory on public transport for students in Greater Sydney. All students in the Greater Sydney area must wear masks when travelling to and from Saturday School school using public transport.
Staff and students are not required to wear a face mask while at school. Anyone who wishes to wear their own masks in schools will not be prevented from doing so.
Parents and carers are not allowed on school sites except for the following purposes only:
- Essential parent and carer meetings with teachers and/or school executives, with a scheduled appointment. This includes scheduled meetings with parents and carers of prospective students.
- Parents and carers who attend a school administration building or another defined location for the purpose of picking up their child if they are unwell.
- Parents and carers can attend parent orientation meetings and ‘meet the teacher’ meetings with school staff for all year/stage groups.
COVID Safe Check-in
From Term 1 2021, all NSW public schools use the Service NSW COVID Safe Check-in.
Look for the COVID Safe QR code posters when you enter the school. Be sure to sign in at the school administration building according to your centre’s visitor guidelines.
Attendance
Consistent and punctual attendance is essential to your child’s progress in language learning. As classes only run on Saturdays it’s important to remember that missing one lesson is equivalent to missing an entire week of school! All absences, including partial absences like late arrivals, are recorded on your child’s report. When a student has extended absences the Principal may determine that they have not met course completion criteria, which could result in an N-Determination. To maintain satisfactory attendance, students should regularly attend on Saturdays, consistently engage in the course, submit work on time and participate in class discussions.
What time are lessons?
Lessons start at 8:30amfor all students. Lessons for Years 7-10 students finish at 10:30am. For Year 11-12 students there is a short recess break from 10:30am to 10:45am. Lessons continue after the break for Year 11-12 students until 11:45am. Year 12 Extension classes run from 11:45am to 1:00pm.
Assessment
The purpose of school assessment is to measure performance and progress in relation to the course outcomes. Students will be assessed in the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. All students will receive an assessment booklet at the beginning of the school year which will detail the dates, weightings, objectives, outcomes, and types of assessment tasks to be completed. The booklets are also available to download from the SSCL website.
What do students need to bring to class?
Students will need a notebook and pencil case for class. We recommended that students bring a school diary to keep track of homework and assessment due dates. We encourage students to bring their own monolingual or bilingual print dictionary. Canteen facilities are not available at our centres and students are not permitted to leave school grounds to purchase food. Students in Year 11 and 12 should bring a drink and a snack for the 15 minute recess break.
What do I need to do if my child's circumstances change?
It is important that the SSCL has up-to-date information. Please advise your centre immediately by phone or email if there are any changes to your child’s:
- emergency contact details
- weekday school
- medical information
- learning support requirements, including HSC adjustments. If there is anything that may impact your child’s studies at the SSCL you should speak to the centre Supervisor to discuss how the school can best support your child.
Follow us
Keep an eye on our school website as it is updated on a regular basis and we also enjoy showcasing all our good news stories on our social media platforms, where we share the wonderful learning experiences our student participate in on Saturday morning.
Our fantastic centre executive and administrative staff are always willing to assist with any enquiries you may have about our school and your child’s learning. Please contact the centre directly on Saturday if you have any queries regarding your child.
Twitter: @SSCLNSW
Facebook: @SSCLNSW
Instagram: @SSCLNSW